Apparatus for salvaging submerged vessels and other objects

ABSTRACT

APPARTUS FOR SALVAGING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER OBJECTS COMPRISING PRESSURIZED BUOYANT ELEMENTS CONVEYED TO THE SUBMERGED VESSEL OR OBJECT THROUGH A CONDUIT HAVING AN INTERNAL DIAMETER LESS THAN TWICE THE DIAMETER OF ANY OF THE BUOYANT ELEMENTS. WHEN EMPLOYED IN DEEP WATERS, THE APPARATUS INCLUDES A SUBMARINE BOAT PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR PRESSURIZING BYOYANT ELEMENTS THEREIN, AND A CONDUIT SHORTER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SURFACE OF THE WATER AND THE SUMBERGED VESSEL CONVEYING THE PRESURIZED BUOYANT ELEMENTS FROM THE SUBMARINE BOAT TO THE SUBMERGED VESSEL.

J. n. HELBIG 3,605,671

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING SUBMERGED VESSELS AND OTHER OBJECTS Sept. 20, 1971 2 Sheets-Shut 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1969 AAAAA.AXAA A /k. AAA-A.- AA

lllllllllllfi FIG.?

IN VEN'IUR. Jim 0. He/b/g fi m/hf. Wag/M4 1" Sept. 20, 1971 J. o. H'ELBIG 3,505,671

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING SUBMERGED VESSELS AND OTHER OBJECTS Filed Aug. 15, 1969 2 Shah-Shut 2 A A. A ./k A A A .A. A A A A- A A A .A- A A. A

INVENTOR. Jim 0. Helbig A TTOR/VEY United States Patent 015cc 3,605,671 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,605,671 APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING SUBMERGED VESSELS AND OTHER OBJECTS Jim D. Heibig, Brighton, Colo., assignor to Cyclo Manufacturing Company, Denver, Colo. Filed Aug. 15, 1969, Ser. No. 850,469 Int. Cl. B63c 7/12 US. Cl. 11450 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for salvaging sunken vessels and other objects comprising pressurized buoyant elements conveyed to the submerged vessel or object through a conduit having an internal diameter less than twice the diameter of any of the buoyant elements. When employed in deep waters, the apparatus includes a submarine boat provided with means for pressurizing buoyant elements therein, and a conduit shorter than the distance between the surface of the water and the submerged vessel conveying the pressurized buoyant elements from the submarine boat to the submerged vessel.

This invention relates to apparatus for salvaging vessels and other objects submerged at various depths including those in waters at 1000 feet or more as well as those submerged in shallower waters.

Heretofore known apparatus for raising submerged vessels has employed both valved and valveless buoyant elements. My US. Pat. No. 3,303,808 describes valveless buoyant elements as part of such apparatus. The buoyant elements are in the form of spheres having walls impervious to air and water, each provided with a very small aperture through which air passes automatically into the elements when the air pressure is greater externally than internally of the elements, and passes automatically out of the elements when the pressure is greater internally than externally of the elements, but through which water cannot pass when pressures internal and external of the elements are substantially equal. A walled pressure chamber is employed to contain the hollow elements and air pressurized to a predetermined pressure at least equal to the water pressure at the depth of the submerged vessel to be raised, for automatically causing the pressurized air to pass into the buoyant elements through said apertures until their internal and external pressures are approximately equal. This treatment is preparatory to conveying the pressurized buoyant elements into the vessel to be raised.

Valved buoyant elements, such as described in my copending application for patent, Ser. No. 812,198 have also been employed, particularly for the purpose of providing a predetermined pressure differential internally and externally of the buoyant elements. The valve arrangement is such that air and water can pass into or out of the elements but not until a predetermined pressure differential has been established. The valve construction overcomes the objections to valveless elements encountered when tides or waves temporarily alter the pressures to which the buoyant elements are subjected (with resultant passage of air or water) after they have been discharged into the submerged vessel to be raised.

The invention about to be described herein may employ either valved or valveless buoyant elements for raising submerged vessels and other objects.

In methods heretofore known, the salvaging of vessels and other objects has been limited, for practical purposes, to those submerged in relatively shallow waters of depths of several hundred feet or less, partly due to the high cost of providing long conduits extending from surface craft to the submerged vessel for passage of the buoyant elements therethrough. An object of this invention is to provide means for conveying pressurized buoyant elements to a vessel submerged at a substantial depth through a relatively short conduit, namely, a conduit substantially shorter than the distance between the surface of the water and the vessel or object to be salvaged.

This object may be achieved by two methods. One method is by carrying a supply of buoyant elements in a submarine boat to a depth and location near that of the submerged vessel, conveying pressurized air to the submarine by a small diameter hose extending from surface craft to the submarine, for pressurizing the elements, and then conveying the pressurized buoyant elements from the submarine boat to the submerged vessel by a relatively short conduit. The other method to achieve the object of this invention is to provide a submarine with apparatus for pressurizing the buoyant elements while in the submarine and moving the submarine boat to a depth and location near that of the submerged vessel, and then conveying the pressurized buoyant elements through a relatively short conduit into the vessel to be salvaged. In the second method, the surface craft with air pressurizing apparatus thereon and the air hose can be dispensed with, and the pressurizing of the elements may be done in the submarine by chemical or other means producing pressurized air in the submarine chamber containing the buoyant elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in the submarine boat for mounting the element conveying conduit to permit swivel or swinging movement of the conduit for directing the conduit to an opening in the vessel to be salvaged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conduit for conveying the buoyant elements from the submarine boat to the submerged vessel which is of such diameter that free passage of the buoyant elements is assured and jamming of the elements therein is avoided. The diameter is limited so that the center of the buoyant elements cannot be too far removed from the centroidal axis of the conduit. The limiting of the diametric size of the conduit is necessary to prevent jamming and excess frictional contact between the elements and the interior walls of the conduit. If the conduit is too large, the spherical elements may move sidewise and thus lateral forces create frictional contact between the elements and between the elements and the conduit walls. By limiting the diameter of the conduit, the frictional contact between the elements and between the elements and conduit is minimized.

The conduit which conveys the buoyant elements from the submarine boat to the vessel to be salvaged may be all steel or other metal or have a flexible terminal portion, or it may be constructed of rubber or other suitable material, but not necessarily flexible material. The submarine may be near to the hull of the sunken vessel so that the conduit can be swung or swiveled to enter the hull and the submarine can be maneuvered to facilitate the entry. The conduit preferably is disposed at an angle of approximately 45 degrees or less to the vertical, so the weight of following spheres will move the elements into the submerged vessel without relying on free pressurized air or mechanical means for this purpose.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of apparatus embodying my invention, including a surface craft, pressurized air hose, submarine, sunken vessel and conduit for conveying pressurized buoyant elements from the submarine to the vessel.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of modified apparatus embodying my invention, including a submarine boat 3 provided with pressurizing means, sunken vessel and conduit for conveying pressurized buoyant elements from the submarine to the vessel.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views of parts of the element-conveying conduit showing buoyant elements in elevation therein.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, a surface craft is provided with a housing 11 for containing pressurized air or equipment for pressuriz-ing air, and an air hose 12 extending from the housing It to a submarine boat 15. The submarine 15 has a chamber 16 for containing buoyant elements 17. A conduit conveys pressurized buoyant elements 17 to a submerged vessel 21. The conduit 20 is mounted in the submarine 15 by a swivel joint 22.

In using the apparatus of FIG. 1, the buoyant elements 17 are pressurized in the chamber 16 of the submarine 15 by pressurized air or gas conveyed through hose 12. The air or gas conveyed by hose 12 has been pressurized to pressure equal to the pressure existing at the depth of the submerged vessel 21 or slightly greater pressure to compensate for temporarily increased pressures due to tides or waves. The pressurized buoyant elements are conveyed through the conduit 20 to the hull 21. The submarine can be moved and maneuvered so that a relatively short conduit 20 is required for this purpose, and its axial inclination can be controlled by the position of the submarine and the swivel joint 22.

In using the apparatus of FIG. 2, the surface craft 10 and air hose 12 may be dispensed with. The pressurizing of the buoyant elements is performed within the chamber 26 of the submarine by any suitable means, such as by pressurized air or gas produced by chemical or other means within the housing 27. The pressurized elements are conveyed to the hull 30 through the conduit 29 as heretofore explained. The swivel joint between the conduit 29 and submarine 25 is designated 31 in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show conduits 35 through which pressurized spheres 36 are conveyed from the submarine to the submerged vessel. When the conduit 35 is inclined as shown in FIG. 3, the buoyant elements naturally roll downwardly in contact with one side of the conduit unless the diameter of the spheres is substantially less than the diameter of the conduit, in which case they may assume generally side by side positions. When the conduit 35 is substantially vertical, as shown in FIG. 4, the buoyant elements 36 are disposed to become staggered and to fall into contact alternately with opposite sides of the conduit. In either case, according to my invention, the diameter of the conduit is somewhat greater than the diameter of the buoyant elements, but not so much greater that the centers of the elements can be spaced from the centroidal center of the conduit to such an extent that the buoyant elements become jammed and exert substantial lateral pressure against each other. The greatest '4 possible distance between the inner surface of the conduit and any of the buoyant elements is less than the diameter of the smallest element. By limiting the size of the conduit relatively to the diameter of the buoyant elements, the elements are prevented from exerting substantial lateral pressure against each other and free passage through the conduit is assured without the aid of pressurized air or gas or mechanical means for forcing the elements through the conduit.

It is to be understood that the terms sunken vesse or submerged vessel in the claims are intended to include ships and objects other than ships. For example, the buoyant elements may be conveyed by the conduit to a net which may be attached to the object to be raised.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for salvaging submerged vessels comprismg:

(a) a surface craft provided with air pressurizing means,

(b) a submarine boat provided with a pressure chamber,

(c) a supply of buoyant elements in the pressure chamber,

(d) means for pressurizing the buoyant elements including,

(e) a pressurized air hose extending from the surface craft to the pressure chamber in the submarine for conveying pressurized air to the submarine pressure chamber, and

(f) a conduit conveying the pressurized buoyant elements from the pressure chamber in the submarine boat to a submerged vessel.

2. The apparatus defined by claim 1, in which the conduit for conveying the buoyant elements to the submerged vessel is larger in diameter than the diameter of the buoyant elements but not so much larger that the centers of the elements can be spaced from the centroidal axis of the conduit to such an extent that the buoyant elements become jammed and exert lateral pressure against each other and the conduit.

3. The apparatus defined by claim 1, in which the conduit for conveying the buoyant elements to the submerged vessel is larger in diameter than the diameter of the buoyant elements and less than twice the diameter of any of the elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,868 10/1944 Frassel 114-50 3,303,808 2/1967 Helbig 114-52 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner G. W. OCONNOR, Assistant Examiner 

